Template making scriber



June 10, 1952 A. DEL DEBBIO 2,600,098

TEMPLATE MAKING SCRIBER Filed June 22, 1948 INVENTOR. ANGELO DELDEBB/O led/4% ATTORNEY Patented June 10, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TEMPLATE MAKING SCRIBER Angelo Del Debbio, San Francisco, Calif.

Application June 22, 1948, Serial No. 34,399

2 Claims. 1

The invention, in general, relates to floor covering and more particularly relates to an improved lay-out tool affording rapid scoring of floor pads as templates for linoleum or like floor covering to effect optimum workmanship and end products.

Heretofore, there has been some attention devoted to the provision of scribing tools for ultimate cutting of linoleum and the like in connection with the laying of floor covering. The majority of prior scribers of this type are of somewhat complex construction containing numerous parts to be manipulated and, as a consequence, their cost of manufacture is relatively high and the application of such tools to specific jobs renders the work time consuming and costly. Moreover, the end product or actual fioor covering obtained by using such prior scribers are so lacking in good workmanship that it often is necessary to resort to patching or slicing in of sections to afford the complete floor covering. The present invention is directed to the provision of an improved template making scriber which obviates the foregoing disadvantages inherent in their structure and use.

A primaryobject of the invention is to provide a dual function scriber instrument enabling not only the effective scoring of felt but also enabling the use of the scored pad as a template for scribing linoleum properly to enable convenient cutting thereof and provide a tailored job of floor covering for any type and dimension of room or space.

Another important object of my invention is to provide a template making scriber of the indicated nature which is additionally characterized by its minimum of parts, its convenient handling, and its low cost of manufacture with little, if any, maintenance expense.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a template making scriber of the aforementioned character which is of such relatively simple construction and which can be applied so simply that it can be employed successfully by the unskilled as effectively as those skilled in the art.

Other objects of the invention, together with some of the advantageous features thereof, will appear from the following description of a pre- Referring to the drawings:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is another perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the invention,- this view being taken from the bottom of the device.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of an auxiliary element forming a part of the preferred embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view, partly in section, illustratin the construction of the preferred embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 5 is a plan view illustrating the manner of using the device in making a template, the latter being shown in dotted lines.

Fig. 6 is a plan view illustrating the manner of utilizing the template and device for scoring linoleum or the like to afford a tailored'job.

In its preferred form, the improved template making scriber of my present invention preferably comprises a bar of predetermined width having a pointed nose on one end thereof, a scriber needle piercing and projecting below said bar at a point from said nose equidistant to the width of said bar, together with means for adjusting the length of said needle, and an auxiliary scribing needle removably mounted on the lower side of said bar.

As particularly illustrated in Figs. 1 .to 3 inclusive of the accompanying drawings, I provide a relatively fiat bar, which is designated generally by the reference numeral II and which is preferably fabricated of spring steel, although it can be made of hard wood or a lastic material, as desired. Preferably, the bar II is so formed as to provide thereon a planar upper surface 12 for a'maior portion of its length and the bar is made to a predetermined width l3 which iscritical. In order that the bar can be used most effectively, such as instances of low and irregular base moldings which would interfere with obtaining a flush fit against a wall or base board of a room, I preferably form the bar I l with an off-set front extremity l4, see Figs. 1 and 4, and so shape such extremity as to provide a rounded nose i6 thereon. Moreover, to insure a proper seating of the tool, in the application thereof, as well as to avoid the likelihood of damage to the nose and to insure longevity of use of the tool, I weld or otherwise secure a reinforcing triangular shaped seat block ll to the underside l8 of the front extremity H at the nose I6, as clearly shown-in Figs. 1 and 2 of the annexed drawings; the seat block [1 preferably being fabricated from case-hardened stock. Thus, the curvature. of the ofi-set portion of the front extremity ll of bar H is not so extreme, when taken with the attached scat block IT, as to deleteriously afiect the metal of which the bar is fabricated but is suflicient to bring the lower surface ll! of the bar at the front extremity in close proximity to the work to which the tool is applied, and to afford sufi'icient depth to the tool as to permit adequate mounting of the scribing needle as hereinafter explained.

In accordance with my invention, the improved template making scriber includes a main scribing needle 2l which pierces the upper surface l2 of the bar and projects below the same to a distance slightly greater than the depth of the tool. The needle 2| is preferablyadjustable as to length and to this end I securea sleeve 22 to the underside of the bar with the sleeve arranged transversely thereof, as shown. The sleeve 22 is provided with a longitudinal bore 23 as well as holes in the top and bottom thereof for loosely passing the needle 2|, and I provide a set-screw 24 which is in threaded engagement with one end of the sleeve 22 so that its inner end can be brought into firm engagement with the shank of the needle 2|. To adjust the needle length, the set-screw 24 is first loosened and the needle 2i raised or lowered slightly the desired amount and the set-screw 24 then tightened again with its inner end bearing firmly against the shank of the needle to hold the same in its adjusted position. It is to be particularly observed that the main scribing needle 2| is mounted at a critical point on the bar H so that its scribing point 25 is located the same distance from the tip of the nose iii of the bar as the width B of the bar. In other words, the distance 25, see Fig. 4, between the nose 16 of the bar and the needle point 25 is exactly equal to the width l3 of the bar, and this distance is critical as hereinafter explained in connection with the showings of Figs. 5 and 6 in providing a tailored linoleum job for any given shape and dimension of room or space in which the floor covering is tobe laid.

In addition to the foregoing elements, means are provided in my improved template making scriber for the removable mounting of an auxiliary scribing needle 26 which is shown in perspective in Fig. 3 of the drawings and in a carrying or mounted position in Figs. 2 and 4 of the annexed drawings. To this end, I secure to the underside of the bar H in suitable spaced relationship a pair of mounting blocks 21 and 28., and it is to be especially noted that the. depths 21' of such mounting blocks are such that their bases 28 are co-planar with one another as well as co-planar with the base of the seat block 1? secured to the underneath surface 18 of the front extremity Id of the bar. Thus, when the. :tool employed in template making it canbe applied in a level position with the bases-of the three blocks ll, 21 and 28 all in alignment, ascleariyi illustrated in Fig. 4 of the accompanying drawings. The auxiliary scribing needleifi preferably is formed to a generally circular crosssection for a major portion of its 'ien'gth with one fiat end and a tapered functional extremity terminating in a point 28'. As shown, the auxiliary scribing needle 26 is conveniently removably mounted on the underside of the bar M in the spaced mounting blocks 21 and 2B and the mounting and removal thereof is effected by first inserting the fiat end of the auxiliary needle into a spring-loaded well 3! formed in the block 28 and thereby compressing the springs? snfliciently to permit the tapered extremity and point 26' of the auxiliary needle 26 to be inserted into a tapered groove 32 formed in the mounting block 21. To release or efiect removal of the auxiliary scriber needle from the mounting blocks, it is only necessary to grasp the shank thereof and move the same in the direction of the block 28 thereby compressing spring 3| sufliciently to effect enough movement of the needle to permit clearance of the tapered end and point 26' thereof from the tapered groove 32 of block 27.

In employing my improved template making scriber, the following simple operations are carried out, reference being made to the dotted and full line showings of Figs. 5 and 6 of the annexed drawingsfor purposes of explanation; these views illustrating the making of the template or pattern toegther with the making of a tailored floor covering devoid of patch-work or inserts. With reference first to Fig. 6, the pattern or template material 36, such as felt, is first disposed on the floor 31 of a room and the template making scriber applied thereto, as indicated in the-reduced showing ll thereof, with the nose- 16 of the scriber in engagement with the Wall 38 of the room at or close adjacent to the floor 31. The scriber is then moved above the room keeping the nose thereof in engagement with the wall with the result that; the scribing needle 25 scores the felt as indicated by the dotted line 36' in Fig. 6 of the accompanying drawings. The template thus formed and comprising the scored material 38 is then preferably forwarded to a cutting room, designated generally by the reference numeral 40 in Fig. 5 of the drawings, where the pattern or template 36 is placed upon a sheet M of floor covering material, such as linoleum; the pattern or template being designated or indicated byfull line showing in Fig; 6. The first step preparatory to cutting is to invert the scriber so that its normally planar upper surface is at the bottom of the tool rather than the top. The auxiliary scribing needle 26 is then removed from the mounting blocks 27 and 28 and the flat, planar surface l2 of the scriber laid on the template or pattern 33 with an inner straight edge II of the scriber abutting the scored line 36' of the template and the outer straight edge H" of the scriber extending outwardly from the template 36. Using a cutting knife, the operator then cuts the floor covering, such as linoleum, along the outer straight edge ll" of the scriber, moving the scriber along from time to time about the room as the cutting is being done. The'cutting line of the knife about the room is indicated by the dotted line El in Fig. 5 of the drawings, there being thus obtained a tailored floor covering fitting the exact dimensions of the room 81, including its irregularity 42, see Fig. 6, wherein the template 3% was made. This is true because the width 13 of the bar H is exactly equal to the distance from the point of the nose I6 to the scribing point 25 of the main scribing needle 2|, and because the edges H and II" of the bar H are straight edges.

It is to be especially noted that a tailored job of floor covering can be obtained despite numerous irregularities or oif-setsor wells in rooms and even where such irregularities are relatively narrow and prevent normal manipulation of the bar .1] because obstructing the rear end of the bar. In these instances of abrupt deviations in the straight walls 38 of .a room and movement of the bar I] is. interfered with because of its length, it is only necessary to invert the bar H and turn the same to bring one of its straight edges H or H" into engagement with the wall and use the auxiliary scribing needle 26 to score the template material along the opposite edge of the bar II. This is entirely possible because of the planar upper surface [2 of the bar permitting the same to lie flat on the template material when used in this manner, there being no obstructions whatsoever on the surface 12 to hinder the use of the tool in inverted position and with the auxiliary scribing needle 2d as just described.

I have successfully employed my improved template making scriber on a multiplicity of jobs many of which involve substantial irregularities with respect to the shape of a given room and requiring floor covering fitting the room from wall to wall. I have found that with my im proved scriber, the jobs can be completed in much quicker time and more readily than when. employing other types of scribers heretofore marketed. Moreover, in every instance, a fully tailored job has been done without any patch-work in the floor covering whatsoever.

The improved scribing tool of my present invention also includes a magazine for holding a reserve supply of scribing needles 2! so that whenever the needle being used becomes damaged or worn the same may readily be replaced with a new needlealways available in such magazine. To this end, I form either of the mounting blocks 21 or 28, say block 27, with a well 46 therein which normally is closed with a small screw 41 and readily opened by removing the screw to gain access to a needle contained in the well.

I claim:

1. A template making scriber comprising a flat bar of predetermined width and longitudinally extending straight edges; said flat bar having a planar upper surface co-extensive with its length,

a rounded nose at one extremity of said bar; said bar having a hole therethrough approximately midway of its straight edges and at a point spaced from said rounded nose a distance equal to said predetermined width of said bar, and a scribing needle situated in said hole.

2. A template making scriber comprising a bar of predetermined width andhaving an uninterrupted planar upper surface and longitudinally extending straight edges, a rounded nose at one extremity of said bar; said bar having a hole therethrough approximately midway of its straight edges and at a point spaced from said rounded nose a distance equal to the width of said bar, a scribing needle situated in said hole with its point extending below said bar, a sleeve secured to the underside of said bar; said sleeve having a threaded bore therein as well as having aligned holes for passing said needle below said bar, and a set-screw threadedly fitting said bore for engaging said needle to retain said needle in said hole of said bar at any selected one of a plurality of vertical positions.

ANGELO DEL DEBBIO.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,366,800 Hayden Jan. 25, 1921 1,993,132 Cathcard Mar. 5, 1935 2,274,727 Neiss et al Mar. 3, 1942 OTHER REFERENCES Weston: A Handy Drafting Accessory, American Machinist magazine, February 21, 1929 (vol. 70) pages 331-332). 

